Tension grips transport of VCMs to Cotabato polling precincts

Tension gripped the process of transporting the vote counting machines (VCMs) to the different polling precincts in Cotabato City, causing a delay in the delivery of over 90 units of the election device.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interior Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo claimed that the tension began when the Cotabato City Police refused to escort the election officer in delivering the VCMs to polling precincts early Saturday afternoon.

“Nagkaron ng tension ho rito kahapon hanggang gabi. ‘Yung opisina ng Commission on Elections for Cotabato City, in the Province of Maguindanao, at saka ‘yung regional office nila for BARMM, ay nasa loob ng [isang] compound ng regional autonomous government kaya ‘yung tension, ay nasa loob ng compound mismo ng regional government,” he said.

“Ang nag-trigger ng tension ay kahapon nung umaga, ‘yung election officer ay ready na i-dispatch na ‘yung mga VCMs para sa final testing at sealing ng VCMs sa mga eskwelahan. Around mga 12 o 1 ng hapon. Ang problema, nung ita-transport na ang VCMs, ayaw i-escort ng city police,” he added.

(The tense situation lasted until night in the Comelec office compound in Cotabato City, which is shared by the regional office for BARMM. What triggered the tension was the refusal of the city police to escort the election officer who was set to dispatch the VCMs for the final testing and sealing of the machines in schools.)

Sinarimbo said that the VCMs are scheduled to undergo a final testing and sealing on Sunday, in time for the May 9 polls on Monday.

Last Thursday, Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said teachers were protesting when their names were removed from the list of electoral board members and replaced with other educators who did not undergo training for the election job.

She claimed that the office of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education of the BARMM first replaced the superintendent before removing the teachers, and that the ministry was allegedly the one dictating on the election officer in making the list of electoral board members.

On the other hand, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said that several men allegedly threw rocks at their personnel and tried to hold them back from transporting the VCMs.

“Base sa initial na information na aming natanggap, meron ngang insidente na nangyari sa lugar na iyon kung saan may ilang grupo ng kalalakihan na pinagbabato ‘yung mga pulis natin doon, ‘yung sasakyan. Ayaw nilang palabasin, hinarangan po nila ‘yung paglalabas ng VCMs na galing sa Comelec at nagkaron ng tensyon,” she said.

(Based on the initial information we received, there was an incident in that area where some groups of men threw stones at our police personnel and their vehicles. The trouble rousers did not want our cops to go, blocking the transport of the VCMs.)

Fajardo pointed out that the additional PNP and even Armed Forces in the Philippines (AFP) personnel were deployed in their headquarters in Cotabato on Saturday night to ensure a peaceful conduct of the elections in the area.

She also said that the PNP is waiting for an announcement from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if Cotabato City will be placed under the poll body’s control because of what happened.

For their part, Comelec acting spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco assured the public that there is still enough time to conduct the final testing and sealing of the VCMs fro Cotabato before the elections, with the PNP and AFP working to secure them.

“Gagawin po ng election officers ang lahat ngayon na naayon sa proseso para matuloy ang eleksyon. Kung hindi naman kung sakali, meron levels of escalation nang nakahanda ang Comelec at sisiguraduhin namin na maaksyunan ito,” he said.

(The election officers will do everything now in accordance with the process to proceed with the conduct of elections. In case not, there are levels of escalation in the Comelec, and we will make sure that we take action.)

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said Friday that the poll body has reshuffled poll officers in the BARMM and other areas.

Garcia earlier said the Comelec would not allow the reported replacement of electoral board members in the BARMM for the May 9 polls.

In a Super Radyo dzDD report on Sunday morning, acting Comelec spokesman Atty. John Rex Laudiangco said the issue on the delivery of VCMs in Cotabato has already been resolved.

—LBG, GMA News